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Book_^W4\/Z^ 2 



WraOWlNGS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 



REVOLUTIONARY NARRATIVES. 
No. III. 



250 copies printed. 
No. /a5_0 



My Services and Losses in 
aid of the King's Cause 
during the American Rev- 
olution. 



BY 



ISAAC WILKINS, 

Member of the New York Assembly, 
&c., &c., &c. 



3 ) i ) > 



BROOKLYN, N. Y. : 

Historical Printing Club. 

1890. 



.vv ^\y i£> 






NOTE. 



The following narrative will be wel- 
comed, not merely as an autobiograph- 
ical sketch of one of the most promi- 
nent of the New York loyalists, but 
as settling once for all the controversy 
concerning the authorship of the 
famous "A. W. Farmer" tracts, which 
have so puzzled and misled Bancroft, 
Sabine, Dawson, Winsor, and other 
American historians. A comparison 
of Wilkins' own statement, contained 
in this pamphlet, with the petition of 
Samuel Seabury, printed in the Mag- 
azine of American History (viii, 117- 
122) must settle the matter, once for 
all, in favor of the latter. 

There are sketches of Wilkins in 

(5) 



Sabine's Loyalists of the American 
Revolution (11,431); Bolton's History 
of Westchester (11, 242); and Sprague's 
Annals of the Americaft Pulpit (v, 464), 
the last being by his grandson, G. M. 
Wilkins. This is printed from the 
original in the English State Paper 
Office. 

Paul Leicester Ford. 

97 Clark St., Brooklyn, N. V. 



To the Commissioners appointed by Act 

of Parliament for enquiring into the 

Losses a7td Services of the American 

Loyalists. 
The Memorial of Isaac Wilkins 

Sheweth, 

That your MemoriaHst is one of 
His Majesty's Loyal American Sub- 
jects. 

That at the beginning of the late 
Rebellion in America he was a repre- 
sentative of the Borough Town of 
West Chester in the General Assem- 
bly of the Province of New York. 

That from his steady and invariable 
attachment to the British Govern- 
ment, and his open and determined 

Opposition to the Powers and mcas- 
(7) 



8 

ures of Congress, both as a member 
of the Legislature and otherwise, he 
was constrained to fly from America 
to avoid the popular Fury, and take 
refuge in England in the Spring of the 
year 1775, where he remained above 
a twelvemonth, by which means he 
was put to the expense of upwards of 
Two hundred Pounds Sterling, £200. 

That in the Summer of 1776 he re- 
turned to America, and was with the 
Army under Sir William Howe when 
they landed that Year on Long 
Island. 

That immediately after Sir William 
Howe had got possession of Long 
Island, your Memorialist's Wife and 
Family were driven from his Farm, 
and Estate at West Chester by the 
Rebel Army, who plundered his Farm 



and House, taking off or destroying 
his Stock of Cattle, Horses, Carriages, 
farming Utensils, Grain, Hay, Provis- 
ions, Liquors, Household Furniture, 
etc., and greatly damaging his House 
to the amount of more than Six Hun- 
dred Pounds Sterling £600 

That from that period, the i^^ of 
September 1776, your Memorialist 
with a numerous Family consisting 
of a Wife and eight Children, besides 
seven others, Servants and depend- 
ants, have lived in an hired House on 
Long Island, where, notwithstanding 
the most rigid Economy they have 
expended upwards of Four hundred 
Pounds Sterling p Annum which, to 
the i^* of September 1783, being seven 
Years will amount at £a,oo a year to 
the Sum of Two thousand Eight hun- 



lO 

dred Pounds Sterling . . . £2800 
by which means your Memorialist 
has expended all his Money, and has 
besides contracted Debt to the Amount 
of some hundred Pounds. 

That all that now remains of your 
Memorialist's real property is his be- 
fore mentioned Farm at West Chester 
which he purchased many years ago 
at the price of Four thousand Pounds 
New York Currency, and on which 
he has expended in Buildings and 
other Improvements, at least One 
thousand Pounds more. 

That his Servants remained upon it 
without much interruption till about 
the last of July, when they were 
driven off and possession taken by 
certain Commissioners stiled Commis- 
sioners of Sequestratio7t acting by Vir- 



II 

tue of an Act of the Legislature of 
the State of New York, and who have 
rented it with all the Crops upon it to 
a certain person for the use of the said 
State, by which means your Memor- 
ialist is not only deprived of this 
year's Profits of his Farm, but the 
future possession of it rendered pre- 
carious, altho' your Memorialist is 
persuaded it has never been confis- 
cated. 

That your Memorialist from the 
foregoing Causes is reduced with his 
numerous Family to a State of Pov- 
erty, and has now to look up to the 
Justice and Generosity of his Countiy 
for a Compensation of his Losses & 
Sufferings. 

Your Memorialist acknowledges 
with Gratitude the Receipt of Two 



12 

hundred Pounds a year, allowed him 
by the Lords of the Treasury, com- 
mencing the 5'.^ of January 1778 when 
he received the first ;^200, which by 
calculating it to the 5*:^ of January 
1784 ensuing, will be Six years allow- 
ance amounting to Twelve hundred 

Pounds Sterling £1200. 

Your Memorialist also acknowl- 
edges that he has at certain times dur- 
ing the War been enabled to receive 
some assistance from his Farm at 
West Chester, having for part of that 
period had a servant residing there to 
keep possession who, tho' exposed 
to continual Danger, and sometimes 
obliged to seek safety by flight, has 
by his Industry and management sup- 
plied your Memorialist with Sums of 
money and produce to the amount of 



13 

near Five hundred Pounds Ster- 
ling £500 

Your Memorialist begs leave, also, 
to shew that his attachment to His 
Majesty and the British Constitution 
in which both Reason and Sentiment 
concur, will not admit of his becom- 
ing a Subject of the American States. 
He therefore intends, and is preparing, 
with his Family, to accept of the 
Asylum offered to them in Nova 
Scotia, preferring to remain no longer 
in the United States than until he can 
recover and dispose of his Estate and 
settle his affairs. 

Your Memorialist, therefore, prays 
that his Case may be taken into your 
Consideration, in order that your 
Memorialist may be enabled under 
your Report to receive such Aid or 



14 

Relief as his Losses and Services may- 
deserve. 

Isaac Wilkins. 

A State of the Charges and Credits as 
set forth in the foregoing Memorial. 

Expences of the Memorialist's Voyage 

to England in the year 1775 . • • ;^200 " " 

Losses & damages sustained when the 
Memorialist's Family were driven 
from his Farm in the year 1776 . 600 " '• 

Expenses of himself & Family on 
Long Island for Seven years at 
;i^400 p annum 2800 « " 

3600 « " 
Credit. 

Six years allowance from 

the Treasury at ;!{^200 p 

annum ;^I200 " " 

The product of the Farm 

at West Chester during 

the war 500 " " 1700 " " 

Balance Sterling . £,'^9^'^ ** ** 



15 

Evidence in the Case of Isaac Wil- 
kins Esq": late of New York . , 13^.^ 
December 1785. 
Claimant Sworn, 

Says he is a native of the Island of 
Jamaica, came to New York very 
young with his Parents and continued 
there. — Was a Member of the Legis- 
lature and gave all opposition in his 
power to the measures of Congress. 
The Motion for sending Delegates to 
Congress was negatived in the House 
of Assembly. — Claimant one of the 
majority that carried that point in the 
Assembly — this made him obnoxious. 
Stood foremost in the Assembly 
against Congress. He was known to 
be the author of some publications 
against Congress, particularly an Ad- 
dress to the Counties of New York 



i6 

^cc* Was reputed Author of a 
Pamphlet under name of A. W. 
Farmer. Steadily to the utmost of 
his power supported British Govern- 
ment. — Never signed any Non-Impor- 
tation agreern^. Uniformly against the 
measures of Republicans — this con- 
strain'd him to fly. — In the Spring of 
1775 went to England, and returned 

* I have been unable to find any tract from the 
New York presses of that period which answers to 
this title, but it was probably one of the follow- 
ing : 

Short Advice to the Counties of New York 
By a County Gentleman. New-York. Printed 
by James Rivington, 1775. 

A Serious Address to the Inhabitants of the 
Colony of New York, Containing a full and minute 
Survey of the Boston-Port Act, New- 
York : Printed by John Holt, M,DCC.- 

LXXIV. 



17 

in 1776 with Sir William Howe & re- 
mained in Long Island. — His Family 
driven from West Chester came to 
him there. His wife fled in such pre- 
cipitation she could not save more 
than her clothes. The Americans 
came on purpose to destroy his Prop- 
erty, hearing the Claimant was with 
the British Army. In January 1778 
Lord North unsolicited gave him an 
allowance of ;^200 p Annum which 
he still receives. 

Property — Remained in New York 
after Evacuation for the purpose of 
getting possession of his Estate at 
West Chester which he did, and sold 
it for ;^2500 New York Currency, half 
what he had paid for it, the Americans 
allowed him to sell it, paying Atten- 
tion to the Articles of Peace, believes 



i8 

it generally was allowed where Con- 
fiscation had not taken place before 
the Peace for persons to sell. 

When his Family were driven from 
his Estate at "West Chester he suffered 
the following Losses. 

Stock, (values yoke of Oxen at £2^ 
N. Y. Currency.) 

32 Head of Cattle at /^6 p Head 

New York Currency ..... £192 " '< 

2 Pair Oxen 50 " " 

6 Horses a ;!^20 p head 120 " " 

50 Sheep @ 10/ p head 25 <' " 

30 Hogs @ 9/ Sterhng p head . . 23 19 11 
Hay, Grain of various kinds con- 
taining the whole Crop of the 

year, Butter &cc valued at . . . 300 " " 

Farming Implements 100 " " 

Damage to Barn & House .... 170 " " 

Furniture & Cloaths (Sccc ^oo " " 

All these things were intirely lost. 



19 

Expences when obliged to fly to 
England cost ;^400 Sterling for which 
he charges only ^^200 — He had no 
allowance at that time. 

Expence at Long Island of Self & 
Family from the End of 1776 to the 
End of the year 1783 during which 
time he had no Rations or assistance 
from Government at 400^ p Annum, 

;^2800. 

First Judge of the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas at Shelbourne. 

His name does not appear in the 
Act of Confiscation which he attributes 
to the Friendship of his Brother. 

His Losses were occasioned by a 
Party sent on purpose to destroy his 
Property, and take his wife prisoner 
when the Americans heard that the 
Claimant was with the British Army. 



20 



His wife just escaped before they got 
down. Some of the Claimant's ser- 
vants were taken Prisoners, and his 
whole property was at that time de- 
stroyed. 

Major Thomas Barclay, Sworn. 

Says he knew the Claimant inti- 
mately in 1775, at the commencement 
of the Troubles he was Representative 
for the Borough of West Chester. 
He opposed in the House of Assembly 
warmly all measures of Congress. 
Both in his public and private Capacity 
opposed the measures of the Ameri- 
cans, which he believes was his Reason 
for quitting the States. Knew his 
Farm at West Chester, saw it in 1774 
then in good Order, Saw it in 1776 
whea it had been much damaged both 
by Americans, British and Hessians. 



21 

The Rev^ M*: Panton Sworn. 

Says the Claimant was uniformly a 
determined Loyalist, on first move- 
ment he stood forth to counteract the 
Measures of the Rebels. Wilkins was 
on his Farm about 4 days before Gen- 
eral Howe landed in , Ml^ 

Wilkins had left the House some 
days before, and it was said the House 
had been plundered by the American 
Troops, — he understood that the 
House had been completely rifled by 
the Americans. 

Joshua Pell late of West Chester 
New York Sworn, 

Says he knew the Claimants Loy- 
alty, the Witness left his house when 
the Town of New York was burnt. 
Thinks he was at home when a Party 
of the Americans came to plunder 



22 

M': Wilkins House, was not at the 
house after the damage but heard of 
it. He was acquainted with M": Wil- 
kins, and had before this frequently 
seen his Farm : He was inform'd it- 
was well stocked, and the people said 
how sorry they were that his Stock 
had been so plundered by the Amer- 
icans. — He had been frequently in 
M"; Wilkins' House before. It was 
very well furnished. 

He had been thro' his Farm, 
thought it well Stock'd and had been 
often so informed. 

He understood the whole Damage 
had been done at one time (except a 
small part of Furniture carried on 
board) and the whole had been plun- 
dered then. There was a party of 
Americans in the Neighborhood all 



23 

about the place — whether sent on 
purpose against M': Wilkins the wit- 
ness knows not. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS j\ 



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